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Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

The choice had been popular with students and school officials for a decade. The old high school gym was hot, cramped and uncomfortable, they said. The Elmbrook Church was modern, spacious and air-conditioned. But as the court noted, “towering over the graduation proceedings … was a 15- to 20-foot-tall Latin cross, the preeminent symbol of Christianity.”

The appeals court said that goes too far, turning a public school ceremony into an “endorsement” of a particular religion.

Nine students and parents, all unnamed, sued the school district, saying they felt uncomfortable and offended by having graduation in an evangelical church. Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,” said Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the winning plaintiffs.

Since March 29, the justices have considered the Elmbrook case at their weekly conferences but taken no action, raising the chances the appeal will be turned down.

If so, the 7th Circuit’s decision will stand as a warning to school districts that they could be forced to pay damages and heavy court costs if they hold events in church buildings.

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If you don’t believe in God, than how is this building any different than another. Especially when nothing religious is going on. I would put money on same said nine demanding that the church marry Gay couples.

Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,

There is no right to not be uncomfortable. Tell these crybabies that the world is tough and they need to get the $#%+ together. This is not an establishment of religion. How can they graduate without knowing what the word “establishment” means? Make them repeat the year.

i went to public high school. for Advanced Placement final exams, (those are courses that let you get college credit) we had to go off campus to a CHURCH. we went to a large multipurpose room where many tables and chairs were. in that particular room, i can’t remember Christian symbols on the wall. but in the church in general, yes there were crosses in some places. NO ONE CARED.

Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,” said Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the winning plaintiffs.

i’m Christian. i would not care. at most i’d sorta think it’s a little funny for five seconds, then i’d get over it and move on to thinking about graduation. it’s not like the graduation ceremony is meant to promote religion. i definitely would not file a lawsuit over something so insignificant.

who cares? it’s not like a display of a religious symbol emits mind-control rays to brainwash people. why do these idiotic “freedom from religion” people always act like even looking at a religious symbol is like evil mind-control? wtf.

Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,” said Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the winning plaintiffs.

First off you can’t HOLD it in a Mosque because you would desanctify it.

Second, I wouldn’t CARE – You see the symbols of an opposing faith have *no power over me*. They’re symbols and nothing else.

You know what offends me more? That my public library is used to propagandize Global Warming, Demonize Rich People, learn about the dangers of Big Oil and whatever else the leftist hatefest dujour is… But somehow YOUR symbols are ok and must be aired using my money but MINE must never see the light of day?

BULLS**T I say to you good madam… BULL-S***… That you would rather raid the hard earned blood and treasury of these United States so as not to be offended by seeing other people’s symbols goes against the very heart and grain of the founding of the United States.

Fine, don’t participate. A graduation ceremony is not a right. Neither is it a right to not be offended by something. Check your mailbox for your diploma.

Left Coast Right Mind on May 12, 2013 at 10:34 PM

While, we’re on the subject, a free education provided by the government is not a right either. Unless it falls under that “good and plenty” clause of the Constitution. And, frankly, I think we’d have been a lot better off if public education had been one of the things the government had been explicitly prohibited from doing.

Start the ceremony by announcing you’re having a moment to think of the poor people offended by Judeo-Christian morals and establishments, with a violinist playing the “crybaby tune” in the background. Then continue as normal after the laughter has died down.

Fine, don’t participate. A graduation ceremony is not a right. Neither is it a right to not be offended by something. Check your mailbox for your diploma.

Left Coast Right Mind on May 12, 2013 at 10:34 PM

I’d agree with you except to say make the students pick them up at the school to save on postage. They should have the chance to pick em up on graduation day without attending ceremony. But the school should not pay postage.

This neither establishes a religion nor prohibits its free exercise. They simply take advantage of an available church building as a better location for the graduation.

Of course, when you redefine the First Amendment to be all about some conceptual “wall of separation,” you open the door to this kind of obsession about just how much separation there has to be.

The correct answer is, no separation per se is required. Therefore, this is a total non-issue.

Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,” said Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the winning plaintiffs.

I seriously doubt it would bother any Christian I’ve ever known. Because, you know, we would figure the symbol was for the organization that owned the building, not for the school that was borrowing it.

Or is the concept of “borrowing” too complicated for schools and judges?

Christians should “stop and think about how it would feel if their high school graduation ceremonies were held in a Jewish temple or Muslim mosque, where diplomas were handed out beneath a looming Star of David or Islamic crescent,” said Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the winning plaintiffs.